Sorting device



Mac 21, 1934. 1 c. c. mav- SORTING DEVICE F11 1 March 28. 1932- INVENTOR mam-1;: 5'. Casey ATTORN EYS 6 tem of classification;

Patented Mar. 27; 1934 UNITED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE soarmo DEVICE Charles 0. Casey, nan-0a, Mich.

Application March 28, 1932, Serial No. 601,598

7' Claims. (01. 129-15) The present invention pertains to a novel sortlng device for classifying fiat articles such as sheets, letters, envelopes and the like, alphabetically, numerically or according to any other sysof a series of superimposed swinging tabs attached to a base member, and the tabs are suitably labeled to identify the sorting compartments or pockets formed between adjacent tabs.

These units usually contain a fixed number of tabs in a given size and can be adapted for a smaller number of used compartments by leaving certain tabs idle, but cannot be expanded. One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a sorting device whichreadily enables contraction and expansion below and beyond the standard number of tabs or compartments. With this object in view, the device comprises essentially aseries of tabs adapted to have their lower ends detachably locked in a base member, in conjunction with an adjustable follower member for pressing the lower ends of the tabs tightly together in the base member. Thus, a standard size of unit thus constructed may be rearranged for various capacities between standard sizes.

As the compartments become filled with sorted material, the tabs approach a vertical position, and the rearward or uppermost of the superimposed tabs, which are less heavily weighted, have a tendency to fall back through the vertical plane. Another object of the invention is to overcome this difficulty and is accomplished by means of a hinged weighted fiap resting upon the rearward or uppermost tab, thereby imposing a load on those tabs which otherwise would be so lightly weighted as to rise higher than the others.

, Moreover, a fixed stop cooperates with the weighted flap to prevent it and all the tabs from reaching a vertical position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a label holder for the upper edge of the tab and which is easily engageable by the finger of the operator for lifting of the tab. This holder has a device at its lower edge for maintaining a minimum spacing between adjacent tabs and has its upper edge projected beyond the upper edge of the tab for further facilitating the insertion of the operators finger behind thesamefi The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the following description and in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof;

The sorting unit consists Figs. 3 and 4 are sections on the lines 33 and 4-4 respectively of Figure 2;

Fig. 5 is an end view;

Fig. 6 is a detail section of one of the tabs, to illustrate the label holder.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters which are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

The device comprises a base member or container 1 of channel cross-section and having flanges 2 directed inwardly from the free edges of the side walls. A wooden strip 3 is laid in the bottom of the channel forstiffening purposes so that the metal constituting the channel need not be of suflicient thickness to maintain its shape un- 7o der the load imposed thereon.

At the rear end of the base. or container is secured. a. U-shaped metal piece 4 having its transverse wall 5 sloped upwardly away from the base for a purpose which will presently appear. At the other or forward end of the base is provided a combined follower and leveler comprising vertical walls 6 and 7 resting upon and within the base and a connecting wall 8 which slopes upwardly towards the adjacent end of the base. In other words, the wall 7 is higher than the wall 6, and the top 8 connects their upper edges. The walls 6 and 7 are notched at 9 to receive the flanges 2 as shown more clearly in Figures 4 and 5.

The tabs 10 which define the filing pockets or compartments consist of a suitable material which may be flexed a great number of times at the same point without rupture. For assembling the tabs in the base, a block or spacer 11 is provided for each tab, split at 12 to receive the lower end 13 of the tab, and the sections thus formed are finally glued to opposite sides of the end 13 or otherwise fastened thereto and' to each other as by means of screws or nails. This assembly conceals the lower end 13, but this end may be secured directly to one of the faces of the spacer, if the matter of appearance is to be disregarded. The spacers 11 are as wide as the interior of the container 1 and are notched at 14 to receive the flanges 2, as illustrated in Figure 3. In assembling, the spacers are held over the base 1 at such an angle that they may be freely dropped between the flanges 2 and are then turned to the strictly transverse position shown in Figure 3. The extreme forward tab rests upon the inclined wall 8, thereby taking a suitable elevation which is also imparted to the succeeding tabs as clearly shown in Figure 2. As the pockets or compartments are filled with filed material, the 110 level of the upper ends of the tabs rises. A weighted top piece 15 is hinged in the stop 4 at 16 and bent at 17 in order to overlie the rearward tab. The rearward tabs have increasingly less load upon them, and the weighted member 15 imposes additional weight upon them in order to pack them tightly together and hold them to substantially the level of the more heavily weighted forward tabs.

The spacers 11 are clamped towards the rear end wall 18 of the channel base by means of the follower 68. For this purpose, a nut 19 is secured to the container and receives the/threads of a bolt 20 which passes through a hole 21 in the rear wall 7. The follower is braced and guided by a pair of angle irons 22 extending between the walls 6 and 7 and having end pieces 23 which are riveted to these walls as at- 24. The members 22 are spaced apart transversely of the base 1 to accommodate the nut 19 therebetween.

A transverse stiffener plate 25 is fastened to the outer face of the wall '1 at the hole 21, and the bolt 20 extends also therethrough, so that the head 26 of the bolt bears against this plate. It will now be seen that the follower may be urged against the spacer blocks 11 by turning the bolt 20 into the nut, the strip 3 being first sawed off to the minimum overall length to which the blocks may be compressed.

This manner of assembling the blocks in the base is especially useful in changing the number of tabs in the units. 'For example, it may be desired to add or remove a few subdivisions. and by the means herein disclosed, the tabs of such subdivisions may be added or removed, as the case'may be. In adding tabs, the bolt 20 is turned out of the nut 19 to permit the follower 6--8 to be drawn away from the end wall 18. The spacers of the added blocks are dropped between the flanges 2 and then properly positioned in the manner described, after which the follower is again advanced against the box by screwing the bolt into the nut. Likewise, in removing tabs, the follower is advanced in order to provide clearance for turning'these tabs on a vertical axis to a position which permits withdrawal of them between the flanges 2, and after withdrawal the follower is tightened against the spacer blocks remaining in the container; Thus,

a standard unit may be expanded or contracted within certain limits. and a standard length of base enables variation of capacity within these limits.

As the unit becomes filled ,with sorted material, the tabs approach a vertical position, and the rearward tabs tend to fall over to the other side of the vertical plane. This tendency, however, is overcome by the engagement of the member 15 with the inclined stop 5, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, whereby the member 15 as well as all the tabs are prevented from reaching a perfectly vertical position. The member 15 accomplishes this function in addition to the weighting of the rearward tabs as already described.

Figure 6 illustrates the label holder which consists of two pieces of metal 28 and 29 welded together in surface contact. The piece 29 is bent at 30 to form a clip which is readily slipped over the upper end of the tab and secured thereto by any suitable means. The bend 30 is so positioned that the piece 29 projects upwardly beyond the same as at 31 for a purpose which will presently be described.

The piece 29 has its upper edge turned back at 32 to overlie the label 33 and transparent cover 34 which are laid successively upon the body of the piece. The lower edge of the piece is likewise turned back to engage the member 34, and this bend is in the form of a spacer or hump 35 of greater prominence than the bend 32. ,It will also be understood that the bends 32 and 35 are so spaced as to receive the membars 33 and 34 snugly between them. The label 33 alone or with the transparent cover 34 may readily be slipped out and replaced by new parts as desired.

The projecting part 31 of the piece 29 serves as a finger piece to be engaged in raising the tab and facilitates raising the tab for the reason that it is spaced from the tab vtherebeneath by the thickness of the tab on which it is mounted. The spacing between tabs is also increased by the humps 35 as clearly shown in Figure 2.

- Thus, it becomes possible to engage the tabs and lift them quickly by reason of the spacing between the'label holders, and the operation is much faster than in cases where the label holders lie close togetherand require the insertion of .the finger nails therebetween in order to obtain a hold for lifting.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. In a sorting device having a plurality of superimposed swinging tabs, a label holder attached to the upper end of each tab and on the upper surfacethereof and comprising aflat member bent inwardly at parallel edges transverse of said tabs and adapted to retain a label beneath said bent edges, the lower bent edge being raised substantially from said upper surface to provide spacing between adjacent tabs at their upper ends.

2. In a sorting device having a plurality of superimposed swinging tabs, a label holder attached to the upper end of each tab and on the upper surface thereof and comprising a flat member bent inwardly at parallel edges transverse of said tabs and adapted to retain a label beneath said bent edges, the upper bent edge projecting beyond the upper edge of the corresponding tab.

3. In a sorting device having a plurality of superimposed swinging tabs, a label holder attached to the upper end of each tab and on the upper surface thereof andcomprising a flat member bent inwardly at parallel edges transverse of said tabs and adapted to retain a label beneath said bent edges, the upper bent edge projecting beyond the upper edge of the corresponding tab, the lower bent edge being raised substantially from said upper surface to provide spacing between adjacent tabs at their upper ends.

4. A sorting device comprising a base member adapted to lie horizontally on a horizontal surface, a plurality of parallel tabs having their lower ends received in said member and readily removable therefrom, and spacing blocks between said ends, said tabs being hinged adjacent to said blocks and normally lying at an angle of less than 45 to the horizontal.

5. A sorting device comprising a base member adapted to lie horizontally on a horizontal surface; a plurality of parallel tabs having their lower ends received in said, member and readily removable therefrom, spacing blocks between said 7. A sorting device comprising a base member adapted to lie horizontally on a horizontal surface, a plurality of parallel tabs having their lower ends received in said member, individually removable spacing blocks between said ends, said tabs being hinged adjacent to said blocks and normally lyirig at an angle of less than45 to the horizontal, said blocks being of such thickness as to enable a substantial accumulation of a plurality of sheets between any two successive tabs, and means slidable on said member for packing said blocks together under pressure.

- CHARLES C. CASEY. 

